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There were 22517 entrants from 94 countries and
all 50 states (8849 women), making it the second
largest ever field assembled in Boston (after the
1996 centenary race).
The elite women departed 29 minutes before the
men, and Reiko Tosa made the early running,
passing 5km in 17:05, 10km in 34:07 and halfway
in 1:12:18. With four-time winner Catherine
Ndereba not defending her title, the race was
open. Tosa gradually shook off others until by
30km she had only three others for company: prerace
favourite Jelena Prokopcuka, Bruna Genovese
and Rita Jeptoo.
Genovese tried her luck next but to no effect.
Prokopcuka took up the pace but Jeptoo tracked
her closely, and Tosa fell in tow as they passed
35km in 2:00:13. Jeptoo had finished as fast as
anyone in the World Championships in Helsinki
last summer, and here she did the same. She
stretched out with 5km to go and quickly gained
nine seconds. Prokopcuka fought back, but never
got closer than a six-second deficit, with 1500m to
run. Jeptoo sprinted to victory in the eighth fastest
time ever run by a woman in Boston.
In the men’s race inveterate front runner John
Yuda led out (5km: 15:22; 10km: 30:04; 15km:
44:51) and thinned the group to 10 members.
Then Ben Maiyo stretched them out. He
eventually went clear with Merga and US hope
Meb Keflezighi, passing 20km in 59:33 and
halfway in 1:02:43. There they were 12 seconds up
on a chasing trio of Timothy Cherigut, Robert
Cheruiyot and Korir. Alan Culpepper, Wilson
Onsare and William Kiplagat followed 30 seconds
further behind.
Maiyo went through 25km in 1:14:21, straining to
go clear as he approached the Newton Hills, but
obviously concerned with those behind him.
Advisedly. By 30km (1:30:30) Robert Cheruiyot,
the 2003 winner, was hard upon his heels.
Keflezhigi was 11 seconds adrift.
Cresting Heartbreak Hill at 33km, Cheruiyot
started to move away to a comfortable win, while
Maiyo took an isolated second and Keflezighi an
assured third. Brian Sell’s even pace took him past
Alan Culpepper in the late stages and two more
Americans made it into the top-10, for the best
overall home showing in Boston since the
infamous Beardsley-Salazar duel of 1982.
This was unquestionably a fruit of the Hanson’s
Brooks project in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Kevin
and Keith Hanson own a couple of running stores
there, and have poured their savings and profits,
as well as their passion, into an elite training
camp which has helped to change the face of
American men’s marathoning.
MEN:
1 Robert CHERUIYOT KEN 2:07:14
2 Ben MAIYO KEN 2:08:21
3 Mebrahtom KEFLEZHIGI USA 2:09:56
4 Brian SELL USA 2:10:55
5 Alan CULPEPPER USA 2:11:02
6 Kenjiro JITSUI JPN 2:11:32
7 Peter GILMORE USA 2:11:45
8 William KIPLAGAT KEN 2:13:26
9 Wilson ONSARE KEN 2:13:47
10 Clint VERRAN USA 2:14:12
WOMEN:
1 Rita JEPTOO KEN 2:23:38
2 Jelena PROKOPCUKA LAT 2:23:48
3 Rieka TOSA JPN 2:24:11
4 Bruna GENOVESE ITA 2:25:28
5 Kiyoko SHIMIHARA JPN 2:26:52
6 Alvetina BIKTIMIROVA RUS 2:26:58
7 Olivera JEVTIC SCG 2:29:38
8 Madina BIKTAGIROVA BLR 2:30:06
9 Olesya NURGALIEVA RUS 2:30:16
10 Zvile BALCIUNAITE LIT 2:32:16
22 APRIL 2006: 19TH
BELGRADE BANCA INTESA
MARATHON, SERBIA &
MONTENEGRO
Japhet Kosgei put three years of indifferent
performances behind him, and did exactly as he
promised the day before, winning in a new course
record writes Pat Butcher. The 38-year old
predicted both victory and the record, taking over
a minute off the previous best mark, 2:12:10.
Kosgei had played the previous day’s press
conference like a stand-up comedian, telling the
audience that his loss of form after three sub-2.08
performances and victories in Rotterdam ‘99, Toko
‘00 and Lake Biwa ‘03 was due to getting married,
then adding after laughter, “and starting a
business”. “People said I was too old but I was
concentrating too much on my printing business.
Now I’m concentrating on running again, business
can wait ‘til I retire. My body feels the same as six,
seven years ago, when I was running 2:07. Now I
want to keep on running, and break the world
record for a 40-year old”.
That is 2:08:46, by Andres Espinosa of Mexico, set
in Berlin ‘03. And the way Kosgei frisked away
from his rivals in Belgrade suggests that he may
well achieve it. In cloudy weather, and
temperatures rising from 10-15C throughout the
race, Kosgei stayed with a group of eight until
35km, before easing away to victory.
“We always say that the start of the race is 35km. I
wanted to know who would follow me, and no one
did. Everything worked perfectly”. In fact, Festus
Kikumu tried to follow, but as he said afterwards,
“I was not surprised that it was Kosgei who went
away. After I talked to him yesterday, I knew he
would win, and I knew I would be second”.
It was the experience of almost 20 marathons
which won the women’s race for Halina
Karnatsevitch. At halfway, the Belorussian was 80
seconds down on relative newcomer, Chemokil
Chilapong of Kenya. But Chilapong, having her
first race outside Kenya, was too optimistic and
was caught at 30km
Former track and field superstar, Carl Lewis fired
the starting signal, and presented the awards
afterwards, including the Fred Lebow Trophy for
both winners.
MEN
1 Japhet KOSGEI KEN 2.10.54
2 Festus KIKUMU KEN 2.11.30
3 Reuben MUTUMWO KEN 2.12.31
4 John MALUNI KEN 2.13.17
5 Samuel NGANGA KEN 2.13.27
6 Eric YATOR KEN 2.13.33
WOMEN
1 Halina KARNATSEVITCH BLS2.34.35
2 Chemokil CHILAPONG KEN 2.36.10
3 Adenech BEYENE ETH 2.41.12
4 Dee NAZZARO USA 2.41.35
5 Marjana LUKIC SCG 2.42.46
6 Lisa VIKLUND SWE 2.48.44
23 APRIL 2006: WROCLAW
MARATHON, POLAND
MEN:
1 Richard ROTICH KEN 2:18:17
2 Marek POSZEPCZY?SKI SWE 2:19:37
3 Aleksandr NIKOLAYUK BLR 2:21:17
4 Dmitry BARANOWSKI BLR 2:22:37
5 Jerzy CHMARZY?SKI POL 2:28:14
6 Taras SALO UKR 2:32:00
7 Slawomir PIECZUROWSKI POL 2:36:01
8 Tomasz SOBCZYK POL 2:38:44
9 Tomasz SOMMER POL 2:40:49
10 Marian CZERSKI POL 2:41:02
WOMEN:
1 Ivana MARTINCOVA CZE 2:53:54
2 Ewa CHA?UPNICZAK POL 3:10:36
3 Marta MIKO?AJCZYK POL 3:14:11
4 Mariola M?YNARSKA POL 3:32:52
5 Deborah THORNTON RSA 3:34:02
6 Agnieszka SPYCHA?A POL 3:37:31
7 Joanna POBIEDZI?SKA POL 3:38:40
8 Ewa RYBKA POL 3:58:20
9 Karolina WILCZY?SKA POL 3:59:17
10 Brigitte HELTERHOFF GER 4:00:32
HALF MARATHON
MEN:
1 Victor STARODUBTSEV UKR 1:08:41
2 Tomasz BRACHMAN POL 1:09:58
3 Sebastian DYMEK POL 1:11:24
23 APRIL 2006: MARATONA
SANT ANTONIO, ITALY
There were 3325 finishers.
MEN:
1 Pertile RUGGERO ITA 2:11:18
2 Henry SEREM KEN 2:12:37
3 Giacomo LEONE ITA 2:13:00
4 Ahmed NASEF2:14:51
5 Francesco BENNICI ITA 2:16:19
6 Abdelhadi EL HACHIMI MAR 2:17:32
7 Pavel NOVAK 2:17:49
8 Reinhard HARRASSER 2:18:02
9 Paolo BATTELLI ITA 2:19:38
10 Claudio CAVALLI ITA 2:27:45
WOMEN:
1 Marcella MANCINI ITA 2:36:16
2 Romina SEDONI ITA 2:40:19
3 Guiseppina MENNA ITA 2:43:45
4 Renata ANTROPIK 2:46:18
5 Ma Grazia PIRAS ITA 2:58:12
6 Daniela SCUTTI ITA 3:03:47
7 Anna Ma VENTURELLI ITA 3:04:28
8 Monica TAMBURINI ITA 3:11:42
9 Roberta UGOLINI ITA 3:12:07
10 Alessandra PREZZI ITA 3:16:21
23 APRIL 2006: NICE
INTERNATIONAL HALF
MARATON, FRANCE
See separate feature, p.28
Nice
46 DISTANCE RUNNING July – September 2006